Brake for railway-cars.



L. DE VIT,0.,

BRAKE FOR RAILWAY CARS.

APPLIOAIION FILED MAR. 17, 1910.

975,908, Patented Nov. 15,1910.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

L. DE VITO. BRAKE FOR RAILWAY CARS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 17, 1910.

Patented Nov. 15, 1910.

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BRAKE FOR RAILWAY (JARS. APPLIOATION FILED MAB. 17, 1910.

975,908. Patented Nov. 15, 1910.

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L. DE VITO.

BRAKE FOR RAILWAY CARS. APPLIUATION FILED 111113.17, 1910.

Patented Nov. 15, 1910.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

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LOUIS nu 'vrro, or CLEVELAND, OHIO.

BRAKE FOR RAILWAY-CARS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS DE Vrro, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing in Cleveland, in the county of Guyahoga and State ofOhio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Brakes forRailway-Cars, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in brakes for railwaycars of that type in which the brake-shoes are located between thetruck-wheels and adapted to be placed in contact with the heads of therails so as to gradually arrest the car by the pow erful frictionexerted by the brake-shoes on the rails.

The object of the invention is to provide a brake-carrying frame whichis supported on the axles of the truck-wheels and adapted to be loweredfor pressing the brake-shoes onto or raising them away from the same,the hanger frames supporting the brake shoes being connected with thebottom of the car and adapted to be automatically moved in lateraldirection for holding the brake-shoes in position above the rails whenrounding curves and permitting the braking of the cars not only alongthe straight, but also, when required, on the curved portions of thetrack; and for this purpose the invention consists primarily ofbrake-shoes supported on hangenframes which are suspended by stirrupsfrom the axles of the truck-wheels and capable of vertical adjustment,the hanger-frames being connected with actuating lever mechanism forlowering the brakeshoes against the action of cushioning springs thatreturn them into their normally raised position until they are depressedby the lever mechanism.

The invention consists secondarily of a mechanism connected with thebottom of the car for automatically oscillating the hangerframes andbrake-shoes as the truck-wheels pass around curves and keepingtherebythe brakeshoes always vertically above the rails; and theinvention consists lastly of certain details of construction of thevarious actuating parts which will be fully described hereinafter andfinally pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a plan-view of acar-truck with my improved brake, Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinalsection on line 2, 2, Fig. 1, Fig. 3 an end-elevation, drawn on a largerscale Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 17, 1910.

Patented Nov. 15, 1910.

Serial No. 549,831.

and partly in vertical transverse section on line 3, 3, Fig. 2, someportions being in section, and Fig. 4 a bottom-view of the cartruck andbrake.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout theseveral fig ures.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the cross-beam or bolster of thetruck-frame on which the bottom-frame C of the car G is supported bymeans of a king-pin p in a socket of the bolster in the usual manner.The bolster A is supported by curved brackets a at both ends onelliptical springs a which are suspended by spring-actuated hanger-rodsa from the truck-frame F. The truck-frame is provided with the usualaxle-boxes for supporting the axles H of the truck-wheels V. In thespace between the truck-wheels at each side of the truck-frame arearranged brake-shoes B which are supported on eyes on the forked ends I)of a transverse rod Z). The forked ends 6 of the transverse rod 1) arepivotally connected with U-shaped hanger-frames l), D, one at each sideof the truck-frame, which hangerframes are provided at their upper endswith forked serrated ends cl which intermesh with toothed blocks E thatare provided with socket-holes for the supporting pins 6 on stirrups Gthat are guided by suitable bearings in grooves of the axles H of thetruck-wheels WV, as shown in Fig. 2. The serrated ends cl and blocks Eare connected by washer-plates c and fastening screw-bolts 6 Thestirrups G are each formed of two semicircular sections 9 that arepivoted to each other at one end and connected by means of eye-bolts gand screw-nuts g at the opposite ends. The upper sections of thestirrups G are provided with lubricating cups 9 To the upper part of thestirrups are rigidly secured the lower ends of pivot levers G theperforated upper ends of which are connected by horizontal draftrods Gand an intermediate lever mechanism 9 g, g and g with a main draft-chainor wire-rope G that is guided between two pulleys 79 p which turn insuitable bearings in a recess of one of the crossbeams of the car-bottomlocated vertically above the bolster A. The pulleys 39 p are arrangedclosely to each other so that they guide the main draft-chain or rod andare turned by the longitudinal motion of the draft-chain or rod G whenthe latter is pulled in the V diate parts. The screw-nuts d and d serve.

direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 1. The upper ends of thepivot-levers G are thereby moved. toward each other so that their lowerends turn the stirrups G on the axles H.

To the middle portion of the pivot-levers G are pivoted horizontal rods(3% which pass through the end cross-bars of the truckframe F. The rodsG are screw-threaded at the outer ends and provided with screwnuts 0iand washers d between which and the cross-bars of the truck-frame areinterposed strong helical springs d which serve for the purpose ofholding the pivot-levers and their actuating lever mechanism in theirnormal position, and likewise, by means of the stirrups, thehanger-frames D, the transverse supporting rod 1) and the brake-shoes Bin normally raised position, with the latter at some distance from therails. When the pivot-levers G are drawn toward each other by the actionof the main draft-chain, lever mechanism and draft-rods, the stirrupsare turned on the axles of the truckwheels, and thereby thehanger-frames D, D, together with the brake-shoes, are lowered againstthe tension of the spring-cushioned rods G so that the brake-shoes areapplied with considerable frictional pressure to the heads of the rails.The spring-cushioned rods G are further provided at their middleportions, inside of the truck-frame, with washers d and screw-nuts d,between which and the inner faces of the end cross-bars of thetruck-frame are interposed additional helical springs 6Z6 of greaterpower than the springs (Z which springs cl serve for the purpose ofimparting a certain degree of flexibility to the brake-shoes so as topermit them to pass over any unevenness or obstruction placed on therails and prevent thereby injury or breakage to the intermefor adjustingthe tension of the cushioning springs 03 d.

The transverse rod 5 is made of two parts, one part being provided witha tubular shank Z2 and the other with a solid shank 6 each having forkedends, the solid shank fitting into the tubular shank and being securedthereto by means of a screw-nut 6 applied to the threaded projecting endof the solid shank. The forked ends of the transverse rod 6 are extendedbeyond their pivotal connection with the hanger-frames and support intheir eyes 6 the brake-shoe holders I by means of upright threaded posts2', said posts being held in position by means of screw-nuts i 11arranged respectively above and below the same, as shown at the lowerleft-hand part of Fig. 3. The brakeshoes 13 are attached to thebrake-shoe holders I by means of upwardly-bent ends 2' havinginwardly-projecting perforated ears i which latter are attached bytransverse keys 2' to ears of the brake-shoe holders, as shown clearlyin Fig. 2 or by the screwbolts or in any other approved manner.

To the middle portion of the truck-frame is rigidly attached at one sideof the forked bolster A, a forked hanger 7" that is provided at itslowerend with a pin f which engages the lower slotted end of an inclinedbar F, the upper horizontal and rounded end of which passes through theperforated lower end of a hanger K that is attached to one of thecross-bars of the car-bottom, as shown in Fig. 2. The lower portion ofthe inclined bar is provided vertically below the kingbolt with a socketf that engages a centerpin f on the cross-bar b so as to turn on thesame in following the motion of the car when roundin curves. The lowerslot-ted end of the inclined bar 7 which engages the pin f at the lowerend of the V-shaped hanger f moves thereby the cross-bar, with itsforked ends, and the brake-shoes, to one side or the other, according asthe curve is a right or left hand one, as the suspended hanger-framesswing on the pins of the stirrups and follow thereby the lateral motionof the inclined governing bar P, so as to keep thereby always thebrake-shoes above the rails and ready for the braking action. Thehanger-frames with the brake-shoes and inclined governing bar areadjusted higher or lower on the toothed blocks E and supporting pins bythe adjacent serrated faces of the blocks and upper ends of thehanger-frames, the blocks being provided with perforations at the upperends of sufficient size to permit the free play of the supporting pinsin the same. After the proper adjustment of the brake-shoes relativelyto the rails and of the hanger-frames to the blocks E is made by thewasher-plates e and fastening screw-bolts 6 the brake-shoes are readyfor the braking action whenever required.

WVhen the brake is to be operated, the main draft chain or rod is pulledin the usual manner and by the lever mechanism described the upper endsof the pivot-levers are moved toward each other against the tension oftheir cushioning springs, whereby the stirrups are turned on thetruckaXles so as to move the hanger-frames in downward direction andpress the brakeshoes firmly against the rails. The inclined bar is notaffected by this motion as the slot in its lower end is of sufficientlength to permit the free up and down play of the hangers andbrake-shoes; but when the car passes around a curve, the inclinedgoverning bar is taken along at its upper end by the hanger K on thecar-bottom and swings on the pin at the lower end of the forked hangerand moves thereby the pin 7 on the transverse rod 6 and thereby thehanger-frames with the brake-shoes along to one side or smo the other,so that the latter are held in position above the rails ready forinstant action in case a braking action should be required whilerounding a curve. When it is necessary to renew the brake-shoes they areremoved from the brake-shoe holders by removing the fastening keys andreplacing new shoes in place of the worn-out shoes.

Having thus described my invention I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent:

1. The combination, with a brake-operating lever mechanism, ofpivot-levers engaged by the same, spring-actuated rods engaging themiddle portions of said levers, stirrups placed 011 the axles of thetruckwheels pivotally connected with said levers, said stirrups beingprovided with supporting pins, hanger-frames supported on said pins, atransverse rod pivotally connected with said hanger-frames and providedwith forked ends, and brake-shoes supported on the forked ends of thetransverse rod.

2. The combination, with a brake-operating lever mechanism, ofpivot-levers connected with the same, stirrups placed 011 the axles ofthe truck-wheels, spring-cushioned rods connected with the middleportions of said levers, blocks supported on projecting pins of thestirrups, hangerframes supported on said pins, means for adjustablyconnecting said hanger-frames with said blocks, a transverse rodpivotally connected with the hangerframes and provided with forked ends,and brake-shoes supported on said forked ends.

3. The combination of hanger-frames suspended on the axles of thetruck-wheels, a transverse connecting rod between the same having forkedends pivoted to the lower parts of the hanger-frames, brakeshoessupported on the forked ends of said rod, and means connecting thetransverse rod with the car-bottom for imparting a lateral motion to thehanger-frames and brake-shoes when rounding curves.

4. The combination of pivotally-supported hanger-frames suspended fromthe axles of the truck-wheels, a transverse connecting rod between thehanger-frames having forked ends pivoted to the lower parts of thehanger frames, brake shoes supported on the forked ends of said rod, ahanger on the truck-frame, an inclined rod connecting the lower end ofthe stationary hanger with the lower slotted end of said inclined rod, acenter-pin on the transverse rod engaging a socket in the inclined rod,and a bracketblock on the bottom-frame of the car provided with aperforation for engaging the upper end of the inclined rod for causingthe lateral swinging of the hanger-frames and brake-shoes when roundingcurves.

5. In a railway car-brake, the combination, with a brake-operatingdraft-chain, of guide-wheels for the same at the center of thecar-bottom, draft-rods connected with the draft-chain, pivot-leversconnected with the draft-rods, spring cushioning rods connecting saidpivot-levers, stirrups on the axles of the truck-wheels applied to thelower ends of the pivot-levers, brake-shoes, and supporting mechanismbetween the stirrups and brake-shoes.

6. In a railway car-brake, the combination, with hanger-frames suspendedfrom the axles of the truck-wheels, of a transverse connecting rodbetween the same having forked ends, brake-shoe holders supported on theforked ends of the transverse rod, brakeshoes on said holders, and meansfor suspending the brake-shoe holders on the forked ends of thetransverse rod.

7. In a railway car-brake, the combination, with hanger-frames suspendedfrom the axles of the truck-wheels, of a transverse rod composed of twoparts each having forked ends, one part having a solid shank and theother having a tubular shank for receiving the solid shank, and meansfor connecting said shanks, brake-shoe holders suspended from the outerends of the transverse rod, and brake-shoes attached to said holders.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signedmy name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LOUIS DE VITO.

Witnesses:

V. SAM PUNELLO, SALVATORE J AMMARIRO.

